Police investigate cause of major fire that destroyed hundreds of homes in Jayapura’s Mandala district

Police are still investigating what started a major fire that swept through the densely populated Mandala area of North Jayapura, Papua, on Monday afternoon.

The fire began at about 2:40 p.m. local time and was extinguished around 8 p.m. Hundreds of homes burned, leaving about 2,000 people without shelter. Many victims went to stay with relatives or acquaintances.

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So far, the cause of the fire cannot be confirmed because officers are still collecting data after the fire was completely extinguished.

Fire crews deployed all available equipment, including fire engines, water cannons and water-supply tankers. The location near the coast made the operation difficult because roads were inadequate and many buildings used materials that caught fire easily.

The Jayapura city government, the military and police erected emergency tents near Mandala for residents who had nowhere else to go. Jayapura City Police Chief Fredrickus Maclarimboen said investigators were still collecting information and could not yet confirm the fire’s initial cause.

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The military, police and Jayapura city government have set up tents for the victims around Mandala.